Here’s the real reason DWP Universal Credit claims have soared

Despite parliament being on their summer holibobs, the right-wing rags haven’t taken the summer off from spreading lies about disabled Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Universal Credit benefit claimants.

DWP: Universal Credit on the up

This week, the Daily Mail reported (though it was seemingly first reported by Guido Fawkes):

Jobless benefits claimants up by a million since Labour came to power

This comes from DWP figures that show the number of people claiming Universal Credit has risen by one million since last July. This means that the total number of claimants, now eight million, is the highest it has been since the benefit began in 2013.

The right media are, of course, wrongly claiming this is because people don’t want to work: that it’s easier to claim benefits than it is to work and more beneficial to do so. As the Mail felt the need to point out, a big chunk of the new Universal Credit claimants aren’t required to look for work: 46% of them to be exact. Which has got the right frothing at the mouth.

But there’s actually a much more logical reason behind this.

Let’s apply logic to this, though this is a challenge for the right-wing rags

For the last few of years, claimants on legacy benefits have been migrated over to DWP Universal Credit. This ramped up last year, helpfully buried in the news cycle by the general election . This means those who previously were awarded Employment Support Allowance (ESA) because they are unable to work are now being forced to apply for Universal Credit, and in turn be judged all over again as to whether they’re fit for work.

Over 2.1 million people in 1.59 million households have been sent migration notices. Of course there’s going to be a huge rise in Universal Credit claimants and those who can’t work, when those are the people who are being forced to claim it if they want to survive.

However what’s important to note here is just how many have lost out. As the Canary has extensively warned and reported, almost a quarter of those forced onto legacy benefits lost their entitlement.

Almost 400,000 have had their benefits stripped because they didn’t reapply for Universal Credit within the three month timeline. That’s 24% of claimants who were sent migration notices, 79% of these were women. The Canary also previously reported that Labour stripped 170,000 children of support since the migration from Tax Credits began.

These people have all been left without support, either to get into work or to just fucking survive in a system that wants disabled people and single mothers to fail.

Those who the DWP have moved over are worse off too

What’s more, even those who have managed to migrate have found that they’re worse off than they were when they were claiming DWP legacy benefits.

According to Policy in Practice, approximately 200,000 households that have been forced to move to Universal Credit are around £59.45 per week worse off. That’s over £230 a month that people are just expected to do without, whilst food and bills continue to rise.

The report also found that disabled people will lose around £55 a week, or £220 a month.

Right-wing rags doing Labour’s job for them again

The fact is, as much as the media spin it, an increase in Universal Credit claimants isn’t because people are workshy layabouts; these are people who have been forced to claim this benefit and then smeared because they’re following DWP orders.

And that is exactly how the government is turning the public against disabled people via the media.

Featured image via the Canary